Demonically Tempted (Frostbite) Read online

  “Keep an open mind, or I’m in serious shit. Point made.”

  She chuckled softly, then considered me for a long moment before she said, “Are you menstruating?”

  I sputtered something close to a laugh, but when Gretchen’s determined expression didn’t waver, I blurted out, “Why is that a necessary piece of information?”

  “Because there’s a spell of protection that’s used from menstrual blood, and it’s quite effective against evil.” Oh, she was being way too casual. “It’s thought that menstrual blood will protect you against all types of evil that’s directed at you.”

  I glanced at Dane, horrified that we were having this conversation, but he seemed unaffected. I, on the other hand, was mortified. My cheeks burned hot. “No, I’m not. And even if I was, that wouldn’t be an option.”

  “Pity.” She turned toward the table and flipped through a few pages, then finally looked away to grab a jar off her bookshelf. “If that’s not an option, this will have to do.” She opened the jar and dumped out gemstones onto the table.

  I learned forward studying the little rocks, clueless, and slightly worried her suggestion was going to be disgusting. “What will rocks do to protect me? And I don’t have to put them anywhere, do I?”

  She took five of the stones, then put the rest into the jar, and sealed it. “It’s a mix of hematite and lodestone, plus colored glass, as well as some other rocks.”

  Then, she placed them into a strange bowl, grabbed a hammer and smashed them. “I’ll blend these into olive and castor oil, and also the essential oil of cypress to form a cream.”

  I watched somewhat in awe as she ground the rocks into a fine powder, breaking a sweat as she did; then she combined all the ingredients and poured it into a glass jar, placing a lid on top.

  She wiped the moisture from her brow. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow night to do this now since the night is already upon us.” Why, I almost asked, but she added before I could, “The lotion needs a night exposed to the moonlight.”

  “Okay.” What else was I going to say? Are you serious? This cannot be possible. Have I entered some alterative universe?

  After flipping through a few more pages, she continued, “Since the demon is bound to the house, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She turned to Dane. “Before you leave, I’ll tell you a few other things you can do to ensure it stays put.”

  At his nod, she opened a drawer reached in, and took out a wooden stick, offering it to me.

  I laughed, unable to help it. “You’re seriously not handing me a magic wand?”

  She gazed at me, stern and serious. “It’s a wand crafted by my very hand, and I gift it to you.” She waved the damn thing at me and I took a big step back. “You’ll use this to draw the circle around you tomorrow night on a patch of grass, and it’ll awaken the magic within.”

  I didn’t move an inch. “And just how do you make a wand?”

  “It’s cut from a piece of lightning struck blackthorn, which gives it an extra bit of power. It’s the best choice for you since it wards off evil spirits.” She, once again, shook it at me. “I hope it protects you.”

  I gulped, hoping more the thing didn’t send out sparks of magic—even though that was a ridiculous thought—I still didn’t like her waving it at me.

  To ensure she didn’t do it again, I took the wand. As I wrapped my hand around it, it seemed like a piece of wood. Nothing more. That eased the lingering fear. “Do I need to do anything with it?”

  She opened another drawer, and then handed me a piece of red silk. “Always keep it wrapped up in silk when you’re not using it. But if you can, keep it close to you at all times.” She handed me the fabric and I wrapped it around the wand. “I’d recommend you place it under your pillow when you sleep.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the wand will absorb your energy. The more you keep it near you, the stronger it will be.”

  “Um…err…okay.” I had nothing—no comeback at all—so why bother trying to form a coherent response.

  “Now then,” she continued. “When the sun sets tomorrow, go outside, take the wand with you—”

  I raised my hand and cut her off. “Sorry, do you have a piece of paper and pen?” At Dane’s snort, I added, “What? I don’t want to forget any of this and we all know my memory sucks!”

  Gretchen opened another drawer, grabbed out a pad of paper and a pen, then handed them to me. “Thanks.” I stepped in next to her and placed the notepad down. “Hit me with it.”

  “All right. Here is what you do…”

  I listened intently, wrote down her directions and I hoped I could read my messy handwriting later, or I’d be making a very embarrassing telephone call to Gretchen.

  After she finished, I glanced up at her. “Is that all?”

  “Once you’ve done the ritual leave the jar within the circle. The moonlight will awaken the magic. And in the morning, return to the circle, enter it like I’ve instructed and rub your body with the oil.”

  I scrunched up my nose. “And this will provide me with extra protection?”

  “It’ll keep you guarded since you’ll be going head-to-head with the demon.” Her gaze lingered onto my necklace before it lifted. “As much as I trust the Archangel to keep you safe, this is just an added bit of protection. The demon won’t be able to touch you, and that I’m afraid, is necessary.”

  “You don’t need to tell me twice. Weird gem oil it is.” I scribbled what she’d said down. “What happens next? Go to the demon and tell it to go away.”

  She laughed, as did Dane even if it sounded more like he was mocking me.

  “It’s never that easy,” Gretchen said, as she strode over to the far side of the room. She picked up a small mirror and a black silk cloth off the bookshelf. “This is what you’ll need to banish it.”

  I took the mirror from her, studying it. It looked like an everyday mirror to me. Sure, the designs around the edges were pretty and all, but it didn’t seem like anything special. “This is going to banish a demon?”

  She gestured to my notepad. “You’ll need to write this down.”

  I placed the mirror next to the wand on the desk and grabbed the pen. In great detail, Gretchen went through the demon banishing and I absorbed each word as if my life depending on it.

  And well, it did, didn’t it?

  Once she finished and I completed my notes, I pondered all this, replayed her acknowledgement that this wasn’t straightforward.

  What was I missing? Where was the catch?

  “Everything you’ve said is simple enough, but I’m guessing it isn’t, is it?”

  “It is simple, if you believe in it.” She smiled. “These spells have been created to ward off evil.”

  She cupped my hand on the desk, squeezed. The same energy I experienced with Dane’s touch sped through me and caught my breath.

  “They’ll work for you if you let them. If you doubt what you’re doing, the spells will fail.”

  Her hand tightened on mine. “But I’ll warn you, when the demon realizes what you’re going to do, it’ll remove itself from the body it holds and will come at you in demonic form.”

  “What will it look like?” Images of horned animals flashed through my mind.

  “A shadow,” was Dane’s reply.

  Considering what I thought it could be, that didn’t sound all that bad. “I think I can deal with a shadow.”

  “Don’t be fooled,” Gretchen said. “It’ll be stronger in its demonic form.”

  And there went my confidence.

  She turned away, grabbed a few more items off her bookshelf and placed it in a bowl. “Just for good measure, take this.” She handed me the jar containing what looked like charcoal and some spices.

  I examined the contents, and inhaled the woodsy, sweet scent. “What is it?”

  “Camphor, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Myrrh and Sandalwood.” She closed the book with a heavy thud. “After all is said and done, light this mix
ture in your circle and let it burn. It’ll purify the house and ensure no other evil can come through.”

  I glanced between her and Dane, finally settling on Gretchen. “That’s it, then? I’ve got everything I need?”

  She nodded. “I believe you have enough to keep you protected. If the banishing doesn’t work, at least, the demon won’t be able to attack you.”

  “Isn’t that a load off?” I murmured. “But you seem pretty confident this will work, so why wouldn’t it?”

  “It all depends on you.” Her expression became measured. “If you don’t believe in the energy that’s available, demand it to awaken to you, and for the demon to be banished, your mission will not succeed.”

  “Well then, I believe,” I snapped. “Simple as that.”

  “I hope you do.” She gave my shoulder a squeeze. “If you fail, do call me and we’ll figure out another plan. If I must come help, I will.”

  “Thank you,” I exhaled, but suspected she was saying that to be supportive and nothing more. It was obvious she didn’t really want to help, and I couldn’t blame her. I didn’t want to do it either.

  “Let’s be off, then.” Dane turned on his heels, and headed toward the stairs.

  I stepped forward to follow him, suddenly remembering Kipp was at the house with the demon and wanting to return to him, when Gretchen grabbed my arm causing me to glance at her.

  “Remember,” she whispered. “You choose your life. Don’t let others tell you what is right. And don’t forget that voice of yours.”

  I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Follow your heart, Tess Jennings, and you’ll do fine.” She walked by me, heading up the stairs behind Dane.

  I stood stuck in the spot and mulled over her advice. Hadn’t I been following my heart? Hadn’t I told her as much when I said that I wanted to keep Kipp?

  And why did I have the horrible gut wrenching feeling that she’d just given me a grave warning?

  Chapter Fourteen

  The plane touched down in Memphis just after midnight. Exhaustion weighed on me. Not only did my head throb from all the information suddenly thrust upon me from Gretchen’s teachings. But the rift between Kipp and Dane was worrisome.

  I strode in front of Dane hoping to lose him in the crowd. I kept the bag of items Gretchen had given me for the spells I needed tight in my hand. I still hadn’t fully accepted that I had a magic wand in the bag. But at this point I’d believe anything to get myself out of this mess.

  Dane had obliged me by staying quiet on the flight home since I wanted to try to sleep, which I did none of and what I really wanted to do right now. It was a blessing I couldn’t do the banishing tonight because I needed the rest.

  As I pushed through the crowd, a firm hand gripped my arm forcing me to turn around. “We need to talk,” Dane said sternly.

  I jerked my arm away from him. “We don’t need to talk about anything. I think I’ve made that quite clear.”

  His voice was deep and held no compassion. “I was brought here to help you, Tess. You might not understand the implications of your actions, but I do. You need to stop this. Immediately.”

  So he says. “I don’t need to do anything. I like my life the way it is, thank you very much.” I glared at him, my fists clenched. “If you don’t like it then go home. No one, especially me, is begging you to stay.”

  A self-righteous grin spread across his face. “You need me whether you like or not.”

  I considered my options, wanting to smack that grin off his face, knowing that my options sucked at best. Sure, I’d learned a lot with Gretchen, but I had no doubt there was so much more I needed to know.

  Seeing that things had taken a turn south, I did need to understand my abilities to keep me safe and understand what was ahead of me. Dane had those answers.

  “Maybe I do need you—for now—but you need to stop this. Not only for my sake, but for Kipp’s too.” I stared him down. “I’m seriously concerned he’s going to possess you.”

  Dane studied me for so long it became awkward and then said, “You do realize what you’re doing is unfair to him.”

  “It’s only unfair if he doesn’t want it.” Right? That made sense, didn’t it? “If he wanted to leave me, he would. As much as you’d like to convince me otherwise it’s not going to happen.”

  “But your relationship is forcing him to remain.” His shoulders squared. “You need to make some decisions. Do you want to help ghosts cross over or don’t you?”

  I narrowed my eyes on him. “You know I want to help them. I’ve already made that decision and it’s exactly why you’re here.”

  “Then you need to stay true to yourself and your purpose with the ghost. You should want to help him cross over. Nothing less.”

  I parted my lips to defend my actions, but my breath caught in my throat. Dane was right. I should want that for Kipp. His existence wasn’t a desired one, but the result of what would happen if he left crippled me. My exhaustion just got a whole lot worse. “What do you want from me, Dane?”

  “I want you to realize why you hold these gifts.” He shook his head in frustration. “There are few, if any, who have the gifts you do. Do you not ask yourself why? Do you not realize the huge responsibility you have here?” He gazed at me with a shrewd look. “He will cross over and then what will happen? You’ll be left devastated. I tell you this so you’ll see things clearly. You can’t be in love with a ghost.”

  “Don’t you think I know that?” I snapped. “Don’t you think I’ve tried to stop it? But I can’t help that I love him. If he chooses to cross over then so be it, but I won’t push him to that conclusion.” I scowled at him. “So, you need to back off.”

  “Tess—”

  “I’m not holding him back on purpose.” I paused, considered that, then added, “At least I don’t think I am. Until you have proof that I am and that he’s suffering, leave it alone.”

  His features hardened. “My proof is my knowledge and experience.”

  “What experience?” I countered. “I know jack-shit about you except that ever since you’ve come into my life you’ve been a total pain in the ass.” I folded my arms. “What makes you so qualified to tell me how to live?”

  “Because I’ve seen someone much like you be destroyed by the very ghosts she was trying to help.” Was that personal demons in his eyes? “She held the power to rid the world of so much evil, which is what we need, but because of her pain she refuses to.”

  “I’m not her. Whoever she is. And I’d appreciate if you would let this drop.”

  “I can’t do that.” That emotion vanished as he gave that hard stare he owned so well. “You’re too important and wasting your talents on ghosts who merely want to cross over. You have a purpose in life and that’s to destroy dangerous threats. Not spend your time fixing ghosts.”

  My blood boiled. “I’ve already told you, I don’t want to hunt demons. I like my life how it is. I’m perfectly happy helping the way I am.” My fingernails dug into my palms. “Just because you think something is good for me doesn’t mean I have to agree with you.”

  He arched an eyebrow so arrogantly. “Others would disagree with you.”

  Not like I really cared, but I indulged him. “What others?”

  He huffed an exasperated breath. “Do you really believe you are the only one with these special gifts?” Until you came along, I did. “I came here not because of Max and this ridiculous notion that you need help discovering your gifts. I came here because I was asked by someone who holds an interest in you.”

  I blinked. Not at all what I had expected. But I realized this was the distrustful feeling Kipp had and what I now understood. “What kind of interest?”

  “It’s not my place to tell you, but I came here to discover just how talented you are.” The hard set of his jaw intensified, which made my stomach drop. “And you are extremely talented. But what you’re doing right now is wrong. You have a responsibility.” He sc
uffed his shoe against the floor, raised his tone. “Dammit, Tess, I will get you to see reason.”

  I shook my head, irritated with him and all of it. “I have no idea what you want me to see.”

  “That the worlds—this world and the Netherworld—are not the same thing. You cannot intertwine them. You need to keep your distance and accept that your abilities are a serious responsibility. That you…” he pointed to my necklace. “Are taking over a fight that begun long ago.”

  “You might think that way, but I never asked for any of this. I’m not on some mission to become something bigger with my abilities.” This talk unnerved me, and I sought an exit. “I work with the cold case squad and help ghosts. That’s it. Besides you do the same for the F.B.I., so I really don’t know what you’re going on about.”

  “That’s only part of what I do and it’s about time you see there’s a higher plan at work.” He pointed at me and I wanted to break his finger. “These gifts have been given to you and you need to step up to the plate. And the first thing is cutting your ties to the ghost. Trust me when I tell you that others would frown upon what you’re doing.”

  I scowled. “I don’t give a shit what others think.”

  “You should.” He glanced over my shoulder, gaze attentive, and he drew in a sharp breath. “You might not see how important it is for you to believe me and that something greater is in store for you, but I have a responsibility to this ghost to see him cross over.”

  He turned to me and looked so deadly, I took a step back. “You may not believe it, but I do have ghost’s best interests in mind. I won’t allow you to act selfishly any longer.”

  Before I could respond, he pulled me to him and then, his lips were on mine. I gasped under the weight of his kiss, stuck in the sensation, unable to move from the shock of his embrace.

  “What. The. Fuck?”

  Ice coated my veins at Kipp’s low tone. I yanked myself away from Dane and spun around.